His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5th December 2007 Sports Complex
Encyclopedia
His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5th December 2007 Sports Complex is a multi-use sports facility in Nakhon Ratchasima
, Thailand
, that was built for the 2007 Southeast Asian Games
which coincided with the 80th birthday of King Bhumbol Adulyadej, hence the name of the venue.
Completed on July 2, 2007 at a cost of $65 million, the complex comprises tennis courts, swimming pools, an indoor arena, a velodrome, a gym, a football training pitch complete with floodlights and a small stand, an office block, ticket sales booths, large parking areas, a large lake (an architectural feature - not designed for sporting purposes) and, the centrepiece, the 5th December Stadium
. The athletes' village is not actually on the site but is a kilometre further along Highway 304 by which the complex is situated.
The complex was purpose-built for the 24th Southeast Asian Games and was also used for the ASEAN Para Games which was held shortly after the SEA Games finished. Unlike many such developments, the complex has not become a 'White Elephant
' in the time since the SEA Games. Many schools tournaments have been held there as has an international tennis tournament, a 'masters' (older athletes) athletics tournament and a friendly-cum-warm-up match played between the Thai national team and a Nakhon Ratchasima XI. The 5th December Stadium is also the home ground of Nakhon Ratchasima FC
who moved there from the Central stadium, Nakhon Ratchasima
in June 2008
Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima or is a city in the north-east of Thailand and gateway to Isan. It is the capital of the Nakhon Ratchasima Province and Nakhon Ratchasima district...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, that was built for the 2007 Southeast Asian Games
2007 Southeast Asian Games
The 24th Southeast Asian Games was held in Nakhon Ratchasima , Thailand from December 6 to December 15, 2007....
which coincided with the 80th birthday of King Bhumbol Adulyadej, hence the name of the venue.
Completed on July 2, 2007 at a cost of $65 million, the complex comprises tennis courts, swimming pools, an indoor arena, a velodrome, a gym, a football training pitch complete with floodlights and a small stand, an office block, ticket sales booths, large parking areas, a large lake (an architectural feature - not designed for sporting purposes) and, the centrepiece, the 5th December Stadium
5th December Stadium
The 80th Birthday Stadium is a sports facility in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. It is the main stadium in His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5th December 2007 Sports Complex...
. The athletes' village is not actually on the site but is a kilometre further along Highway 304 by which the complex is situated.
The complex was purpose-built for the 24th Southeast Asian Games and was also used for the ASEAN Para Games which was held shortly after the SEA Games finished. Unlike many such developments, the complex has not become a 'White Elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
' in the time since the SEA Games. Many schools tournaments have been held there as has an international tennis tournament, a 'masters' (older athletes) athletics tournament and a friendly-cum-warm-up match played between the Thai national team and a Nakhon Ratchasima XI. The 5th December Stadium is also the home ground of Nakhon Ratchasima FC
Nakhon Ratchasima FC
Nakhon Ratchasima Football Club , also known as Korat, is a semi-professional football club based in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. They play in the Regional League North-East Division of the Regional League Division 2 along with fifteen other teams from 'Issan'.-History:Nakhon Ratchasima FC were...
who moved there from the Central stadium, Nakhon Ratchasima
Central stadium, Nakhon Ratchasima
The Central stadium is a multi-use sports stadium in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. It is the former home of Nakhon Ratchasima FC who left the Central Stadium for the 80th Birthday Stadium in June 2008....
in June 2008